Check your investment proposal for the following errors or shortcomings:

1. Can’t open the file: the file is password protected or in
a file format that is not universal (PDF) or that uses old versions or formats.

Use universally accepted formats that
everyone can open, like PDF’s.

You have no
idea how many such investment proposals I have seen in my career, do you really think that your
would-be investor will send you an email asking for the password or the right
program?

Scroll
down to the bottom of this page to find a form to make comments,
initiate discussions or share your experiences about these tips.

2. No ‘teaser’. No brief presentation. “What do you need
money for?”

It’s called
the ‘elevator-pitch when you have only 30 seconds. In the movie world it’s the synopsis. In investment jargon we call it
‘the teaser’. A short text that will inform me what you are all about. "What do you need? Tell me succinctly and purposefully exactly what you are looking for and why". Make it brief.

3. Poor writing and/or spelling in your cover letter/email.

The cover letter with your business plan/investment proposal needs to open the door for you. Otherwise that door will get slammed into your face.

If you can’t
write a simple introduction to your business proposals and explain in a few words what you are offering or
what you are asking for, forget it! If you can’t do this yourself, ask someone
else to do it for you.

4. Typing or Spelling errors on the front page or in the
title.

You have no idea how many business
plans we have seen over the years with enormous mistakes in titles, subtitles,
and even huge mistakes, right on the cover page.

How about
having someone evaluate what you have? Seek out family, friends, other business people,
or a professional.

5. Failure to specify the amount of business funding required.

Too many business plans do not mention
this key piece of information.

I remember
wasting my time with excellent business plans, going through them over and over
trying to figure out how much money they needed. Finally, I would give up, too
much time wasted.

6. No index page in the business plan.

Having the option of a quick overview with
a table of contents to assess what’s in your ‘paperwork’ is a requirement that will help
the reader decide if they want to go through the task of reading it all.

This is the
suit-and-tie approach: the guy who walks into your office knows already that
he will get the deal. He has clearly organized the points that he will make in his investment proposal.

7. Outdated contact details in business proposals or business plans, or none at all.

Basic company information with a list
of key company management and their contact details is a first requirement. Please
do update changes. If someone tries to contact you and gets a disconnected line
or a non-existing email address, you’re out.

8. Poor quality images or logos.

The use of images, photos and logos
needs to be accurate, timely, well placed, and have a professional look. If you
don’t have the right one and it looks bad, don’t use it.

Do your
pictures look like they came from your $20.00 printer?

9. The look and feel of your investment proposal is outdated or simply unprofessional.

Business proposals that look like they
come straight from a typewriter (in this day and age of high quality computer
and print work), will be put aside. The ‘look and feel’ needs to be flawless. Keep
the formatting consistent: avoid different fonts throughout the document, bad
alignments and margins that change, and are not logical.

If you can’t
do it by yourself, yes again, find someone who can. You can’t be an expert in
every detail of your business. Business funding is a different world.

10. Timeline in your business plan: the presentation is obviously old and
outdated.

Investment proposals or business plans reflect a point in time of a business that supposedly is alive
and growing and full of ‘opportunity’. Your documents need to be up-to-date. Don’t
use outdated presentations, check them before you send them to your interested
parties. Old stuff won’t be read.

When your
documents are outdated and are obviously older than six months, no one will look
at them anymore.

11. The first paragraphs are unclear and just about
incomprehensible, or they are not to the point.

From the
first words you have to catch the reader’s attention with accurate and engaging
information. If you don’t do that, the ‘buck’ will stop right there.

12. Some investment proposals are obviously written by a non-native English
speaking person or organization. Failing to use proper English is unacceptable.

This is the same issue as the formats.
If you are going to present to ‘the world’, let’s say to a database of thousands
of investors, you have to use proper English. If it is not correct you will not
be taken seriously. Find a good translator or someone who speaks correct
English, let them help you.

It makes a
wonderful impression to present a business plan coming from a non-English speaking
country in flawless English. You just scored big.

13. The numbers don’t add up.

You would be surprised to find how many
numbers don’t add up in business plans: like numbering of pages or references to
pages, but also business projections, don't make sense.

If you can’t
add up or be accurate, would you expect to get big money from an investor who
can?

14. Excessive length of the business plan.

Investors have no time reading
documents of more than thirty pages.

Too much is
too much. More details can be added during the due diligence phase.

15. Excessive appendices.

Again, the due diligence process will
focus on such information and is not part of a business plan. Information
overload will not do the job.

Attaching
proof of revenue or contracts signed or pending will.

16. Absence of key content in your business plan.

These include lack of financial projections, market
analyses and challenges such as risks, weaknesses, threats, competition.

Sketch a
realistic picture. The investor is not stupid and does not believe in fairy
tales.

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Conclusion: Professional help or advice.

Just about every point that has been
made shows a serious lack of professionalism. Everyone knows how to use a spell checker.

An investment proposal containing obvious mistakes tells me that the paperwork has
never been reviewed or updated.

However, in reality, almost every business proposal that we have seen has one or more of the above
shortcomings.

In our ongoing effort to create the best information to make better presentations to investors we have partnered with Growthink/Dave Lavinsky.

In our articles and pages on this site we recommend Dave's products because they lead straight to solutions. Having helped their clients raise over $2.5 Billion in funding, Growthink is the best source to help get funding, whether you want to work with Angel Investors, VC companies , Crowdfunding, Grants, or to get a loan from the Bank or a Funding Source.

Take some time to check Growthinks's presentations. They are professional, direct, and effective in transferring the message. Just like your presentation needs to be to investors.

Pricing is extremely affordable, and some of the products are free of charge. Some come with very valuable bonuses. If you want to succeed in business, don't re-invent the wheel. Take it from an insider.

And you can receive free regular emails every week with really cool tips on funding, marketing and sales, together with a free copy of "The 10X Blueprint, 10 Steps to Start, Grow and Sell your Business."

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TIP: Since most people scan Web pages, include your best thoughts in your first paragraph.

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